This invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for reconstruction of computed tomographic image and more particularly to methods and apparatus for weighting of data to improve the quality of such reconstructed images.
In at least one known computed tomography (CT) imaging system configuration, an x-ray source projects a fan-shaped beam which is collimated to lie within an X-Y plane of a Cartesian coordinate system and generally referred to as the xe2x80x9cimaging planexe2x80x9d. The x-ray beam passes through the object being imaged, such as a patient. The beam, after being attenuated by the object, impinges upon an array of radiation detectors. The intensity of the attenuated beam radiation received at the detector array is dependent upon the attenuation of the x-ray beam by the object. Each detector element of the array produces a separate electrical signal that is a measurement of the beam attenuation at the detector location. The attenuation measurements from all the detectors are acquired separately to produce a transmission profile.
In known third generation CT systems, the x-ray source and the detector array are rotated with a gantry within the imaging plane and around the object to be imaged so that the angle at which the x-ray beam intersects the object constantly changes. A group of x-ray attenuation measurements, i.e., projection data, from the detector array at one gantry angle is referred to as a xe2x80x9cviewxe2x80x9d. A xe2x80x9cscanxe2x80x9d of the object comprises a set of views made at different gantry angles, or view angles, during one revolution of the x-ray source and detector.
In an axial scan, the projection data is processed to construct an image that corresponds to a two dimensional slice taken through the object. One method for reconstructing an image from a set of projection data is referred to in the art as the filtered back projection technique. This process converts the attenuation measurements from a scan into integers called xe2x80x9cCT numbersxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cHounsffield unitsxe2x80x9d, which are used to control the brightness of a corresponding pixel on a cathode ray tube display.
To reduce the total scan time required for multiple slices, a xe2x80x9chelicalxe2x80x9d scan may be performed. To perform a xe2x80x9chelicalxe2x80x9d scan, the patient is moved in the z-axis synchronously with the rotation of the gantry, while the data for the prescribed number of slices is acquired. Such a system generates a single helix from a fan beam helical scan. The helix mapped out by the fan beam yields projection data from which images in each prescribed slice may be reconstructed. In addition to reducing scan time, helical scanning provides other advantages such as better use of injected contrast, improved image reconstruction at arbitrary locations, and better three-dimensional images.
The x-ray beam is projected from the x-ray source through a pre-patient collimator that defines the x-ray beam profile in the patient axis, or z-axis. The collimator typically includes x-ray-absorbing material with an aperture therein for restricting the x-ray beam. In at least one known CT imaging system, a scanning mode and corresponding reconstruction method are implemented for 3:1 and 6:1 helical pitches. The 6:1 helical pitch mode is referred to as a xe2x80x9chigh speedxe2x80x9d mode because volume coverage is large, and scanning is faster along z-axis than in the 3:1 helical pitch mode. However, the scanning and reconstruction techniques used for this high speed mode have not been found suitable for scanning at greater helical pitches, for example, 8:1 or higher. One of several reasons that these techniques have not been found suitable is that the 6:1 high speed mode uses conjugate sampling pairs that are, in general, no longer valid at pitches of 8:1 or more.
It would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus that provide the thinnest slice sensitivity profile available from acquired data at a fairly high pitch, without deconvolution. It would further be desirable to provide methods and apparatus that can be applied to CT imaging systems with various numbers of detector rows, and at multiple pitches
One aspect of the present invention is a CT imaging method. An object is scanned at a selected helical pitch to acquire a set of attenuation measurement. For each angle of a fan beam of radiation, a direct and a conjugate set of attenuation measurements are identified that each include at least two measurements closest to a plane of reconstruction. Measurements are arranged in pairs, including a short pair and a long pair, using direct and conjugate measurements. Direct measurements are weighted in accordance with their distance from the plane of reconstruction. Direct measurements of the short and long pairs are blended according to a blending function that weights the short pair contribution to zero at a point at which the selected direct pair and the selected conjugate pair have a same z-axis location. The weighted and blended data is used to reconstruct an image of the object.
It will be seen that the various embodiments of the present invention provide thin slice sensitivity profiles from acquired data at a fairly high pitch, without deconvolution. Moreover, the methods and apparatus embodiments of the present invention can be applied to CT imaging systems with various numbers of detector rows, and at multiple pitches.